Jet-cutting machine



` sept. 15. 1925,

A. GoDFREY JET CUTTNG MACHINE Filed Jan, 16, 1923 5 Sreets-Sheet 1 sept. 15. 1925. 1553569 A. GODFREY Jm' CUTTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16, 1923 5 S heets-Sheet 5 Sept. 15. 1925.

A. GODFREY JET CUTTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 18, 1925 s shts-sneet 4 MIL/76 96 FIT |||1|||| Sept. 15, 1925. l,553,769

A. GoDFREY JET CUTTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 18, 1928' s sne'zs-sheet s Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

` aLrnED'GoDrRY, or woon GREEN, LONDON, ENGLAND.

JET-CUTTING MACHINE.

I l'Application filed January 16, 1923. Serial 'Nm 613,066.

To all 'whom it ma ooncem Be' it known t at I, ALFRED Groornnia British subject, residing at the Godfrey Engineering VVorks, Boundary Road, Wood Green, in vthe count of London, England,

have invented certain new and usefull Im-` provements in Jet-Cutting Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention irelates to cutting by oxyvacetylene or `like` 'et cutting processes.

The object of t e invention 41s to provide` improvements whereby the utility of the rocess may be increased and more particuarly to enable cuts of very great length (limited only by the length of a stationary slideway) to be carried o'ut to a predetermined profile with' a high degree of accuracy. A further object is to enable not only a profile but variously shaped holes and apertures circles and bevelled edges to be cut on the same machine by means of combined straight, irregularl (or template guided) and circular feeds without resetting the workpiece. In each case, whatever feed motion of the jet (except circular)y is employed the actual cutting speed may be set to a predetermined required speed and remains constant for that setting.

I have already, in my prior U. S. Patents Nos. 1,357,859 issued Nov. 2, 1920, and- 1,4 31,650 issued Oct. .10, 1922, described machines with a jointed arm permitting of uni- 'versal motion in one plane and supporting a c'utting`` blowpipe, head and mechanical means to drivethe cutting head along a ath determined by the Shape of a ltemp ate.

These machines are, however, limited as to the length of cut obtainable at lone setting by the reach of the 'ointed arm: other machines within my knowledge are either special-purpose machines or portable machines, or are similarly limited in range or scope' So far as I am aware a jet cuttlng machine capable of a practically unrestricted range and -variety of work, so as to nake anyrequired profile or aperture onplates up to any required size such as is contemplated in connection with the present machine is entirely new, and it is an' important feature of the invention that'it provides a machine whereby large jobs such as, locomotive frames can be cutout completely by the jet process, in-

w j cluding all ,profiles andapertures.

The present invention-consists in the'improved machine as a whole and in improvements embodied therein: an important feature is' the use of a travelling tr'uck or carrlage carryln the gas cylinders and controls and pre erably also the motor or like source from which power is transmitted to' `thereof, and means to drive the cutting head along a profile determined wholly or in part by the Shape of one or-more templates.

It will be realized that a great variety of 7.

constructional embodiments may be devised to carry out the underlying idea, and while the invention further comprises the novel .constructional features and combinations' contained in the preferred forms hereinafter desribed it is :'iot my intent-ion to confine vits scope to these'particular forms. v

In the form selected for ill'ustration a jointed arm and a sliding arm to which rotary motion can be transmitted are both shown, each carrying a -blowpipe and carried by a laterally sliding carriage. i

Referring to the drawingsz- .w

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the machine, looking in the longitudinal direction.

vFig. 2 is a plan of the blowpipe carriage With the template-engaging gear removed.

Figure 3 is'a front elevation of the same with the means for driving along the template` in position.

Fig. 4 is a detail of 'the longitudinal feed devlce.

Fig; 5 is a plan of the template-engagmg device.

Fig. 6 isa side elevation showing the blowpipe carriage and thetransmission of.

'the work for the purpose of making angular ad'ustment'or very large circular cuts.

ig. 8is a sectional elevation of the same.

' Fig. 9- is a plan partly in section of Vthe pedestal and bottom thrufstbearing of the same.

Fig. 10 is a plan showmg the same4 with' the table and its worm wheel removed.O

Figsi: 11, l12 and 13 illustrate a .modified form of gas-cylinder truck in greater detail than,` is possible inFig. 1 and also illustrate `the means whereby spurplus lengths of flexible piping may be conveniently dealt with. Referring to the drawings a longitudinal girder 1, which together with the plate 2 forms' a longitudinal slideway, is supported by cross-girders 3 on pillars 4, and may be extended to any required length; I prefer tomake it in units of. from 20 ft. to 40 ft. A lateral slideway 5 is suspended from 'the plate 2 by means of rollers6, 6 and has a feed roller'7 `(as shown a friction roller, but a toothed pinion and rack might be employed) adapted tofeed it bodily along the longitudinal slideway. A carriage 8 with an extension 8a runs alonglthe slideway 5 on rollers 9, 9 and lateral guide rollers 10, 10 (see Figures 2, 3 and 6). The cutting head or blowpipe nozzle 11 haslimited vertical motion within la sleeve 12 provided with a rigid extension'12 slidable within a rotary head 13 and adapted to be slid along horizontally within the same by means of a feed screw 14 and hand-wheel 5.

It may be noted here that by angular and w axial adjustment respectively of the head 13 and the extension 12a the cutting head 11 has a large range within which it may be moved to any required position relatively to the carriage 8.

Four alternative power feed devices are transmitted through the carriage, the power to all being supplied through the fiexibleshaft l15, pinion 16, tumbler gears v17 (forward) or 18 (reverse) and driven whgel 19 mounted on a splined or like shaft 20: Figs. 3 andz6 show the drive in neutral position; forward and reverse are engaged by the action of inclined faces formed in the bar 21 on the corresponding projection 22 o-f the tumbler frame 23. The bar may be moved either by the hand lever 24 or by the contact of the carriage with adj ustable stops 25, 25 arranged to be slidden along the bar 21 into any required positions and there clamped by thumbscrews 25.

Starting from the splined shaft 20 the four feeds are as follows:--

(1) Longitudinal, through bevel Wheels 26 and 27, inclined lsha-ft 28, worm 29 (carried bypivoted frame 30 and held in engagement with worm .wheel 32 by a spring 33) and feed roller 7, which with the .reaction r'oller 7a is also spring pressed by spring 33 and released by rotation of knot 31 with cam 32 extending the spring and raising the roller 7 out of contact with plate 2.

wheel 35, hollow spindle 36, toothed clutch 37 (when in downward position as shown) pinion 38 and toothed rack 39. Ahandle' 40 is also shown togive a quick movement along the rack for settingthrough bevels 41 and pinion 42.

(3) Circu'lar, through worm 34 and wormwheel 35, spmdle 36, clutch 37 (when in 'upper position, reaehed through a neutral by raising lever 43 and thereby rotating the eccentric pin 44 working in the groove shown in the clutch member 37), gear wheels` .from one flexible transmissio shaft 15 (or va telescopic shaft with universal joint) and thence through a single 'splined shaft 20. Moreover the ratios of the gears and worms and the sizes of the feed rollers are so cliosen that for any given speed of the shaft 15 the speeds of each straight feed and that of the' irregular feed -are the same: the circular feed is driven through gearing 47, 48 of the approximate ratio of 1 to 'rc (say 1 to 3 or 7 to 22) so that the length of cut equivalent to 'rc revolutions of the pinion 38 gives one revolution of the head 13. In this manner the actual cutting speed When the circular feed is employed is also the same as that of the other feeds for unit'diameter, and for any given setting of thev driving speed the circular cutting speed is in the simple ratio lof actual diameter of circular cut to unit diameter: this relationship 'off adjustable rollers 53, 53; or where the work is sufliciently flat may be suspended at a definite but adjustable height. The arm may be freed and a suitable portion immediately over lthe blowpipe pressed against suitable templates (either stationary or revolving) While one of the feeds is engaged or while work is rotated on the central table,

or it may be set and fixed by screws 54, 54 (2) Lateral, through worm' 34'andwormin any required position relatively to the carriage 8, thus Very considerably increasi'ng vthe lateral range of a given length of lateral slide. Referring for example to F ig. 1 it will be seen that the single template 55 that is shown can regulate the cutting of its profile starting from any point within the extreme lateral and longitudinal reach of either the extension 1,2a or the arm 52. The

, in one lateral direction so'as to ho template is shown of bent angle section with a de ndin flange grip d on both sides by the eed ro ler 46 and 1 lers 51, 51 mounted on pivoted arms 56, 56 (see Fig. 5) extensions 56', 56' being spring-pressed a art to press the three rollers together. group of rollers may be qul'ckly set in position on the templatel and removed by gripping the said extensions. As an alternative when cuttin long moderately straight profiles the carriage may be contmuall pressed 1d the feed roller against the edge of the template It is to be understood that a sin le template will rarely be used for the who e of a very long profile, as heat .expansion or other causes`may lead to inaccuracy: it is preferable where straight feeds can be employed to use them and to mark out irregular ortions on the work-piece so that the b owpipemay be made to `coincide with the pro er spot before the portion of irregular fee wor is proceeded with.

Referring now to the devices for supplying power and gases to the machine a truck 60 is shown running on rails 61, 61- parallel to the main girder 1. Gas cylinders 62, 62, 63 and the as controllin devices usually formed rigiry with the 'b owpipe head and indicated at 64 are .mounted on the truck and connected to the cutting head 11 or 11'* by flexible piping' 65'. A motor or other source of power 66 drives a frictional reducing variable gear box 67, from which the drive is transmitted through a second similar box 68 to the flexible driving shaft 15, so obtaining a great range of speed, infinitely variable. A pinion 69 also transmits the drive through gear wheel 70 and worm gear 71 to a friction'roller 72 which may be caused to drive the -truck by being pressed against the rail 61 b means of an eccentricz ally mounted roller 3 actuated by the handr lever 74. The ratios and' sizes are so chosen that ,the speed of the truck, while its feed is engaged, is the same as the longitudinal feed speed of the cutting head for the same gear box setting In order to avoid anytrouble with surplus lengths of flexible connections I rovide means upon the truck to take up w atever surplus there may be as the b owplpe approaches theI truck. For example a bracket 100 may be secured to the blowpipe carriage with a fixed Sector 101 'a short distance from the blowpipe.. The flexible leads 65 rest against the said sector and are carried thence round a pulley 102 mounted upon a subsidiary truck 103 and a fixed pulley 104, mounted on the operating truck, on their Way to the gas control devices 64. The truck 103, with pulley 102, by its motion towards 4or away from the blowpipe on the extended table 105 takes up or releases whatever length of the leads .may be necessary and may be so counterweighted, by means of a cord 106 attached to its mounting and 'to the subsidiary truck 103 and carried over a Vertical guide pulley 107, as to retain them always slightly under tension. To avoid confusion the word '*truck is used to de- ,note the device on 'which the cylinders are thence transmitted through suitable reducing gears to a worm 76.- The above gearing is carried by a box 77 pivoted at 78 and drawn by a spring 79 against an adjustable stop 80, so keeping the worm 76 normally in enagement with the worm wheel 81 attache to the table 82. Raising andlowering is eflected by means of a handwheel 83 mounted on a splined shaft 84 which passes through wheel 85 engaging pinion 86 and thereby driving the worm 87 which engages the worm wheel 88 and so rotates the screw 89 within the nut 90, so raising the sleeve 91 and the gears bearings and table carried thereby. It will be clear that the very large range of plates, possibly comparatively small but possibl extending J'many feet, which the table is mtended to handle would make it almost impossible to manipulate ordinary control levers. Accordingly the hand wheel 83 and leversf 92 and 93 are 'all mounted on splined shafts which may be drawn out from the table for the appropiate distance to suit any particular 'p ate. ver 92 on shaft 92" is arranged to raise the inclined end 94' of rod 94, thereby enaging a roller- 96 carried by the ear box 7, causing the latter to rotate a out 'its pivot extend the spring 79- and release the worm 76 from engagement with the wormwheel 81. Lever 97 on shaft 97'* rotates the 'crank 98 and so raises or lowers the rod 99 which actuates the tumbler-gear 75 to give `forward or reverse speed.

ing of pillars or. b ockslsituated out of the ioo way of any of the required cuts. starting at one end one blowpipe it set along the ,transverse slide to the required position for the straight longitudinal cut land locked. The longitudinal feeds of cutter and truck are then engaged 'and the cut proceeds at predetermined speed until one of the recesses is reached. The feed roller and idler above the cutter (if a free jointed arm is used) or anywhere on the head (in other cases) are then engaged with a portion of template conforming (after allowin for the size of the roller) to the shape o the recess, the jointed arm (or both slides as the case may be) being temporarily freed and the feed motionl of the truck discontinued as required. As the cutter comes to the end' of the recess and re-enters the straight portion the parts are again locked and the straight feeds of slide and truck re-engaged. All recesses or curved portions or apertures may be cut by means of circular feeds or templates set up in predetermined positions while it is generally more convenient` to use the straight feeds for any considerable straight cuts.

It will be understood that the apparatus is primarily intended for (though not limited to) cuts of a lengthtof ten or twenty or forty feet or more. The length of cut which can be efl'ected is only limited by the length of the longitudinal slide which may be manufactured in standardized lengths of which suflicient may be employedvm any particular case for the maximum length required.

I claimz- 1. In a jet-cutting machine the combination of a slideway, a sliding member adapted to slide thereon, an arm mounted from said sliding member said arm having a plurality of Vertical Apivotal joints, a blowpipe carried by| the arm, and a superimposed guiding template above the blowpipe.

2.' The combination set forth'in claim. 1, with means to feed the blo ipe transversely at'right angles to th e sli eway.

3. In a jet-cutting machine a slideway in combination with a cross-slide sus ended therefrom, forming a compound s ide, a blowpipe free to ``move alongvboth slides and 'thereby supported for free movement in a plane with vthe slides, in fixed angular relationship, and a superimposed template above the blowpipe to guide the course of the said blowpipe.

' 4. In a jet-cutting machine a blowpipe, an arm carryin said blowpi e, said arm hav- 'ing aeplurahty of vertica pivotal tjoints, a

carriage supporting 'said arm, and a compound slide supporting said carriage.

5. A jet-cutting machine having a blowpipe and mechanical means to support' said blowpipe for motion inva planein combination with an independent means adapted to carry heavy parts and to be moved in substantial conformity with the movement of the blowpipe.

6. A jet-'cutting machine having a blow- I pipe, means to support said blowpipe for longitudinal and transverse movement, an independent longitudinallyv movable truck carrying heavy parts, flexible connecting means between said parts and the blowpipe, and transversely moving means on said truck to take up surplus lengths of said connecting means.

7. A jet-cutting machine having a longitudinal slideway, a blowpipe, laterally'movable means carryin said blowpipe and supported from said s ideway, a second longitudinal sliding device moving parallel to said slideway, a source of power carried by said second sliding device, and means to transmit, the power from said source to efl'ect the movement of. said blowpipe.

8. In combination with a jet-cutting machine having a longitudinally and laterally movable blowpipe, a source of power, variable speed gearing, and gas storage means,

a longitudinally movable truck carrying said gearing and Storage means, connections t-ransmitting the power to the machine for Operating the blowpipe, fiexible gas connections to the blowpipe and means for automatically taking up slack in said gas connections.

'9. A jet-cutting machine having a very long main longitudinal blowpipe-,feed device in combination with independent means for carrying the heavy parts such as those described) substantially para lel with the blowpipe from one end of the machine to the other.

10. A jet-cutting machine" including the combination of a compound slide, and a blowpipe supported thereby in one plane, witharotary feed device having movement independently of the blowpipe and adapted to rotate relatively to the slides in a parallel plane.

11. A jet-cutting machine including the combination of a compound slide, and a blowpipe supported therebyY in one plane, with a rotary mechanically fed work-table.

12.`A- jet-cutting machme comprisin a blowpipe, a longitudinal slideway, rol ers engaging said slideway, a transverse slideway supported by said rollers, further rollers en-gaging said transverse slidewa a carriage supported 'by said further ro lers, a blowpipe maintained in one plane by said carriage, a template above said carriage, and feeding means to draw said blowpipe along a path determined by said template.

13. A jet-cutting machine omprising a blowpipe, 'a rotary feed device,'a pivotally jointed arm supporting said blowp1pe (giving it independent motion in the same plane), and a compound slide having a carr1 supporting` both said feed device and sai pivotally jointed arm.

1,4. A jet-cutting machine including the combination of a com ound slide, a rotary medi vcombinatlon a longitudinal feed device carried t'ereby, an arm having aplurality of Vertical ivotal joints, a blowplpe supported from t e same slide as the "said feed device through the interof said pivotally jointed arm, and a temp ate aainst which the blowpipe may be pressed w 'le the feed device is engaged.

15. A'jet-cutting machine for cutting out complete locomotive frames or similar arge jobs including mechanical feeds to effect strai ht longitudinal cuts, transverse cuts, circu ar cuts and template-guided angular or in'egular cuts, means to support a blowpipe in one lane comprising a longitudinal slideway ang a lateral slideway, and means toapply any of said feeds to said blowpi e in any position within range ofsaid sli eways.

16.' A jet-cutting machine comprisingv in plpe, means to support said blowpipe 'from said slide through means 'per-mitting lateral motion of the blowpipe,- a superimposed template correspondin to the profile to be cut, means engaxng t e said template, and means to feed t e lowpipe along the said profile at a substantiallyv Constant speed.

-17. A-j'et-cutting machine comprising in I combination a longitudinal slide, a jointed V arm supported 'therefrom and adapted to .35

arallel 'to the aving a luparallel pivotal joints, and ab owswing in a horizontal lane movement'thereof, sai g arm rality of pipe carried by'said jointed arm.

-18. A jet-cutting machinecomprising'a carria e, a blowpipe adapted to' be by sai carriage, a lateral slideway or the 'the carriage carriage, a lon tudinal slideway supporting the lateral sli eway, a template fixed over and a drivenfeed roller with its axis .fix relatively to the carriage and adapted to drive the same at anyr redetermined speed within a wide,

for driving range a ong a contour' set by lthe template. e

19. In a 'et-cutting machine thecombination of a ideway and a blowpi e-guiding carriage supported thereby- .with driving means, a separate truck carryin said driving means and running para `el 'to said slideway, said driving means being adapted to'be connected tomechanical feed devices the first name'd carriage. v 20. A t-cutting machine having means to vary t e speed .of thedrive andalt'ernaslide, a blow- 'ded c tive straight and irregular feeds so arraned that the speed of the jet along the pat to be cut-'is substantially constant (for any given setting of the speed varying means) Whichever feed is'emp oyed.

21. Ajet-cuttingrmaclfine aving a blowpipe, lan overhead guidin member, an overhead slideway, a latera slide adapted to slide thereon and to carry said blowpi e and a frictional driving and gripping evice fixed relatively to the blowpipe and adapted'to said overhead guidmg member and thereby to drive the blowpipe at a constant speed along any path predetermined by the shape of the said guiding member. y

22. In a machine of the kind described, a mechanically operate'd table and ad'ustposition of the i able controlling devices for said table a apted to be drawn away from or pushed to- 'wards the table to'suit the convenience of the operator according to the size and posi- `tion of the work.

23. A jet-Cutting machine including a carriage having alternative longitudinal and. transversc and irregular and circular feeds and a single control lever which engages, disengages and revers'es all feeds. y

24. In a jet-cutting machine, the combination of a blowpipe, a support therefor adapted .to swing in a horizontal plane and lconsisting of a linked arm composedof a ported over the work-piecev by a horizontally-swin ing linked arm of variable operative ra' work-piece said' arm being Vertically pivo ted to' a.v orizontally slidable carriage; 'a horizontal slideway extending transversely above the linked arm and supporting s'aid carriage, a 'horizontal'` bridge -member ex- -no' tending transversely above .said slideway; land suspending means between said vbridge member and said slideway ius adapted' to move above sald ;05

rmitting hori- `zontal movement of the latter in a direction' i ature. F EY.-

'angular to the direction of its le In testimony whereof I aflix msl 'ALFR-ED G0 

